The Pause Clause
by TheNorthernBelle
Summary: Zuko and Katara have to figure out a way to control their tempers when working together.
1. Making the Deal

Ok, so this story was inspired by a scene from the show "How I Met Your Mother" where Lily and Marshall pause their conversations when things are getting out of hand. It's a pretty good idea if you think about, and I knew I had to write a Zutara fic around the idea.

Enough ramblings; on with the story!

(I own nothing, btw)

**The Pause Clause**

They were arguing about trade agreements the first time it happened.

"There is no way I'm agreeing to this!" Zuko shouted after reading the demands made by the Northern Water Tribe's Ambassador. "Is he insane?"

Katara sighed wearily. She had had a feeling Zuko would react like this. "Normally I would say yes, but his requests really are not that unreasonable."

" 'Not that unreasonable'? Katara, they only thing he hasn't asked me for are the keys to the palace! There is no way he needs, or deserves, any of this!"

"Well if you want the help of the Northern Waterbenders, then you're going to have to come to a compromise," Katara stated logically.

Zuko groaned and slumped back in his chair. Negotiations to re-open trade routes with the Earth Kingdom hadn't been nearly this complicated. "Can't you talk to him?"

"Absolutely not!" Katara snapped. "Just because I'm the Ambassador for the Southern Tribe doesn't mean you can pass your troubles off on me. You're the Fire Lord now Zuko; you have to get used these sorts of things."

"Well it isn't my fault that your people have such a strong stubborn streak," Zuko muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately, Katara heard him. "I'm the stubborn one? That's rich coming from you. We wouldn't even be in this situation if you hadn't insulted the Ambassador!"

"How was I supposed to know that would be considered an insult?" Zuko said in his defense. "You were supposed to teach me about the Water Tribe customs, but you never showed up that day."

"Because I was at the ceremony announcing the selection of the Ambassadors, which you were supposed to be at by the way."

"But I was busy meeting with King Bumi!" Zuko protested. "You have no idea how busy my schedule has been!"

"You don't think I'm busy too? I – urgh!" Katara actually stomped her foot in frustration. "Pause!"

"What?" Zuko asked in confusion.

"Pause. We need a pause before we both loose our heads," Katara said as she pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to ward off an approaching headache. "You know we both have short tempers. If we're going to be working together we need to have a... a pause clause as part of our professional relationship."

Zuko failed at suppressing the laugh that followed Katara's statement. " 'A pause clause'?"

"I'm serious Zuko! You know as well I do that this will happen again. When we think a conversation is getting too heated, or we just need a break, we'll take a pause and move on to something completely unrelated to the previous conversation. Then, once we've had ample time to cool off, we can un-pause and get back to the task at hand."

"I…yeah that could actually work," Zuko agreed after a moment.

"It's a deal then," Katara said with a decisive nod.

"So now what?"

"Sparring match?"

"You're on!"

**A/N: **I do plan to add a few more chapters to this story. The only problem is that I'm drawing a blank on argument topics. So if any of you have any ideas, let me know!


	2. Pause for Rain

I got this up faster than I thought I would! Yay for inspiration!

Well, the inspiration for this chapter came to me after being outside all day, just knowing it was going to rain soon. I could feel it in the air, and it got me thinking how Katara would react to feeling the impending rain, and this is what I came up with. This chapter also serves to start the move towards Zuko and Katara becoming a couple. Because let's face it Zutara fans: they should have ended up together after their fight with Azula. Just saying.

On we go! (I still own nothing)

The air was heavy with rain the next time it happened. Normally this type of weather would put Katara in a great mood, but it had been threatening rain for the past month without any luck, and the lack of rain had done just the opposite. Add on to that an extremely long and difficult day of negotiations and you had one annoyed waterbender.

Unfortunately for Zuko, he had no idea that she was in a less-than-friendly mood.

"Katara?"

"What?" she snapped.

Zuko paused in the doorway of her office, taking in Katara's frenzied state. Stacks of papers were everywhere and Katara was frantically searching through the biggest stack on her desk. Strands of hair had escaped from her braid, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she had that half frantic, half crazy look on her face that she only got when she was taking on too many things at once.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"Everything!" she cried out, still searching through the stack of papers. "Negotiations were crazy today! I don't know why I ever tried to defend Palo to you," she said, naming the Northern Water Tribe Ambassador. "You were right, he is insane!"

"Katara – "

"And don't get me started on Sokka!" she continued on. "He just won't let up on all these wedding details! I thought it was the bride who was supposed to get all worked up over every tiny detail!"

"Katara – "

"He actually had the gall to insist that I do all the cooking for the wedding! Can you believe that? As if I don't have enough on my plate already. I'm supposed to be reporting on the progress of the rebuilding to the Southern Tribe and of course I can't find the blasted report!"

"_Katara_ – "

"And to top it all off, it still hasn't rained! Having all this water hanging in the air for the past month has been driving me crazy! I _need_ it to rain!"

"KATARA!" Zuko finally shouted.

"What?" she demanded, meeting Zuko's gaze for the first time.

"Pause."

"I – what?"

"Pause," Zuko repeated.

"But…we aren't arguing about anything."

"Well I'm instigating a new use of our pause clause," Zuko said as he stepped over to Katara's side. "It can also be used when one of us sees that the other is overworked and desperately needs to take a break."

"But I can't – " Katara tried to protest.

"Pause," Zuko said firmly. "Or do I need to make it an order?"

Katara removed her hands from the stack of papers. "Like you could actually order me around," she said teasingly.

Zuko merely smiled. "Come on, we're going outside." He grabbed her hand and led her to one of his favorite places in the palace: the turtle duck pond. It always calmed him down; maybe it would help Katara do the same.

The two friends settled down by the water's edge and glanced hopefully up at the dark sky. A roll of thunder sounded, but no water fell.

"Have you ever tried making it rain?" Zuko asked. His worry that Katara would find the question absurd vanished at the look on her face.

"You know…I never actually thought about that," Katara admitted. "I can stop the rain, you've seen me do that, but I never thought about starting it. Zuko, you're a genius!" She gave him a quick hug, then leapt to her feet and moved into her waterbending stance. She reached up towards the water she could feel in the clouds above and gave the slightest of pulls…

It was as if the storm had been waiting for her to do just that. In the next instant a torrential downpour was drenching everything in the courtyard.

"Finally!" Katara shouted gleefully as she let her element soak into her skin.

Zuko was content to just watch her revel in the rain, not caring how soaked he was getting. Seeing Katara like this, so relaxed and carefree, caused Zuko's growing feelings to flare up, but he stubbornly pushed them aside. She was with Aang, and he was with Mai. They had both made promises to their partners, promises that were not easily broken.

And though he knew he loved Mai, why was he finding it so hard to keep his feelings for Katara at bay?

**A/N: **Hope you all liked it! Again, if anyone has any ideas for things Zuko and Katara can argue about, I'd love to hear them!


	3. Pause for Peace

**Yay, I have readers! A big big shout-out and thank you to InkWoven, A Happy Day, Kimberly T., and Kimco96 for being the first to review this story! I'm thrilled that you all are enjoying this.**

**The idea for this chapter was actually inspired by Kimberly T. As soon as you suggested Toph, I knew just what to write. So an extra thank you to you!**

The third time it happened…well, Zuko didn't like to remember that particular instance.

It all started when he was dumped out of bed by tremors so intense that they shook the entire palace.

"What in the name of Agni?" he shouted as he fought to disentangle himself from his blankets.

Several members of his personal guard rushed in. "Are you all right sire?"

"I'm fine," Zuko responded as he lurched to his feet. "What happened?"

"We're, uh, not sure yet sir."

Before Zuko could demand that they go find out, Katara came flying through the door.

"Zuko, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "But you might want to come see this."

Zuko followed right behind her, not even bothering to grab an over robe. "You know what caused this?"

Katara nodded. "You won't like it."

Zuko asked the more pressing question. "Was anyone hurt?"

"No, they made sure to keep out of people's way at least," Katara answered in her annoyed tone of voice.

"What do you mean they?" Zuko asked. "Wasn't that an earthquake?"

"Um, no," Katara said slowly. "It was earthbending."

It took Zuko only seconds to understand Katara's meaning. He took off for the training arenas at a sprint, yelling out to someone as he went. "TOPH!"

When he finally reached the arena, it was to find it in shambles. Chasms had been ripped open in the ground and earthen pillars were everywhere. The worst of the damage was to the side of the arena that bordered the palace. The wall had been completely obliterated, and inside Zuko could see numerous cracks running along the walls and floors that stretched on down the hallway.

And standing where the wall used to be was a sheepish looking Aang and a smug looking Toph.

"What. Happened?" Zuko demanded fiercely.

Aang rubbed the back of his head like he always did when he was nervous. "Hey there Zuko. Well, you see what happened was – "

"Cool it down Sparky, we were just sparring," Toph broke in.

"And who was the proposed enemy, my palace?" Zuko asked as he swept his arms towards the obvious devastation.

"A minor mishap," Toph said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Zuko felt his temper rising. "Toph, you destroyed part of my palace! How is that a minor mishap?"

"Well isn't this the part of the palace that you were going to remodel anyway?" Toph inquired.

Tiny sparks of flames started to race along Zuko's fingertips. He was about to come back with a scathing retort when he felt Katara's hand on his shoulder.

"Pause," she whispered in his ear.

Zuko clenched his hands into fists out of frustration, but he listened to her. "You're right Toph, there are plans to remodel this wing of the palace. As you were so kind to remind me, and since you've already gotten a head start on it, you can be in charge of the rebuilding."

"But I – " Toph tried to protest.

"No buts," Zuko said firmly.

Toph gave him her best "make me" glare, and normally it would have been incredibly intimidating…even if the direction of her gaze was off by a few inches. But Zuko was Fire Lord now, and the Fire Lord didn't give in to those types of looks.

He forced his heart rate to slow down and he evened his breathing rate out so that Toph would know he was in control. He kept his stance wide, but even, making sure he could move into the appropriate stance if need be. He knew Toph would be taking note of all these subtle changes and he intended to use it to his advantage. Years of dealing with Toph had shown him how to gain the upper hand in certain situations. She just had to know that her opponent wasn't intimidated by her.

"Fine," she eventually mumbled.

"You can report to me tomorrow morning to meet the rest of the crew," Zuko said. "Same goes for you Aang."

The Avatar offered up no resistance.

"You'll have to tell me how you got her to agree to that," Katara whispered as she and Zuko headed back inside.

"It was simple. I put on my best Fire Lord persona."

Katara studied him a bit too intensely and Zuko suddenly felt embarrassed by his lack of shirt. "Yeah, I can see how that would work."

Zuko shared a smile with her. "Yeah, it works on just about everyone. Except you. Why is that?"

"Now that's my secret," she said with a smile. "And its one I'll never tell."


	4. Pause for Clarification

**So let's see….a thank you to Kimberly T. and ****xxEchelonAtHeartxx for pointing out the oddity of Zuko and Toph having a staring match in the last chapter. Yeah. Like I said, sometimes I forget that Toph is actually blind. But, I've gone back and corrected said mistake, so if you're interested in reading the new part, by all means go ahead!**

**And a big welcome to Medusa'! I love getting new readers!**

**One more thing before we get on with the next chapter….the ending may seem a bit abrupt and random but…that's just what happened when I wrote it. **

After that Zuko and Katara fell into a sort of routine when it came to instigating their "pause clause." Most of the time they called it into play when they were working together, for their tempers were easily ignited when attempting to deal with the Ambassadors from the other nations. Though Zuko was not ready to admit it out loud, he was eternally grateful for Katara's help. He wasn't sure he would have made it through his first year as Fire Lord without her.

But the pause clause didn't just apply to their professional relationship; they used it in their personal relationship as well. Mainly it was used when another member of the Gaang was getting on their nerves when they all managed to get together. It certainly helped Zuko when dealing with Toph, and it helped Katara a lot with Sokka.

There was only one instant where Zuko almost wished that he and Katara hadn't gotten into the habit of using it so often.

He was gathering the necessary things he would need for the Omashu Ambassador's send off when there was a knock on his office door.

"Come on in Mai," he called out, glad that she was early for once. "I just need to swing by my chambers to drop some stuff off and then we can go." He looked up, a smile on his face at finally seeing her after a busy afternoon. The smile quickly disappeared as he took in her appearance. "Mai, why aren't you dressed?"

Mai looked down at her normal training attire. "I am dressed."

"I meant why aren't you in your dress robes? Don't tell me you forgot about Ambassador Su's send off."

"Who?"

"The Ambassador from Omashu," Zuko replied patiently.

"Oh her. No, I didn't forget," Mai said evenly. "I'm just not going."

"What? Mai, you promised me you would come!" Zuko reminded her.

Mai merely shrugged. "I changed my mind. I can do that you know."

"I know you can, but you said you would go with me. You've already bailed on all the other send-offs, you can't bail on this one!"

Mai glared at him. "Why not? It's not like I really even need to be there. You're the important one."

"We've been over this Mai," Zuko said sternly. "This is one of the protocol things you need to learn. And it would be a really big help if you could this on days that I'm swamped. As future Fire Lady – "

"Oh please!" Mai scoffed. "You yourself said that day is years away. 'We can't marry until the Nation has recovered,'" she mocked.

_Not this again_, Zuko thought. "That's the truth Mai, I thought you knew that!"

"Well I still don't like it. I don't see why we can't get married now."

"Mai, you know why. We – " he stopped as his temper finally flared up. "Just…pause."

"What?"

"I need a pause," Zuko said. "If we continue with this conversation we'll both say something we don't mean. I need a pause, a break. It's something Katara and I do."

The look on Mai's face told Zuko that he had said the wrong thing. "Oh, well then why don't you ask Katara to go to the send off with you?" And with that she stomped out the door.

"Women!" Zuko shouted as he went after her. "Why can't they ever just – "

"Zuko?"

Zuko turned around to see Katara coming towards him. She took one look at him and knew.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Mai," Zuko said bitterly, gesturing down the hallway in the direction she had gone. "She bailed again on the send off. And then we argued about why we can't get married now. Again. She knows that she'll be Fire Lady one day, yet she refuses to start learning about her duties. She won't take on that responsibility and she is so infuriating…I don't even know why I'm still with her!"

Judging by the look on Zuko's face, Katara knew she didn't have to say it, but she did it anyways. "Pause."

She refused to acknowledge the small flutter her heart seemed to give at his words.

"I…" Zuko struggled for words.

"…should get going; you don't want to be late for Ambassador Su's send off," Katara told him.

"Right," Zuko said with a firm nod, getting himself in focus.

"But Zuko…I'm here. You know, if you ever need to talk," Katara said softly.

Zuko looked at her, searching her eyes for…something. "I know."


	5. Pause for Reassurance

**Two new readers, yay! Welcome to AnnaAza and Embers in the flames! **

**Let's see….I don't really have anything to say about this chapter. Again, I own nothing! Enjoy!**

Zuko couldn't sleep. So, as per usual, he was wondering aimlessly through the palace, hoping that he would be able to manage at least a couple hours of sleep later. Always later.

He was starting to realize that his position as Fire Lord was causing him to put many things off until later. Visiting with Iroh would come later. Getting out into the city to meet more of his people would come later. Marrying Mai would come _later._

_Or never, _he thought to himself. Mai hadn't spoken to him since their last fight, and that morning she had spontaneously left to go visit Ty Lee on Kyoshi Island. Zuko wasn't sure if she meant to come back.

But he couldn't think about that now, for those thoughts certainly wouldn't help him get to sleep. He would think about that tomorrow.

He was about to head back to his chambers when he heard a muffled scream. Zuko quickly scanned his surroundings, noting that he was in the residential part of the palace. There was no one in sight, so maybe the scream had come from one of the rooms?

He stood completely still, straining to hear any sort of noise. _There!_

The scream sounded again and Zuko felt a sense of dread fill him as he realized the screams were coming from Katara's chambers. Finding her door unlocked, he rushed inside, ready to defend his friend if needed.

There was no one in the room save for Zuko and Katara. But the waterbender in question was thrashing around in her bed, seemingly caught in the grip of an intense nightmare.

Zuko stepped forward, ready to coax Katara awake when her murmured words stopped him cold.

"No…no, Zuko…please…not him."

Katara was having a nightmare about him? Was it about all those times he had chased her, captured her even? He couldn't bear that thought.

"Don't hurt him…Zuko, please…don't leave me." Katara screamed again.

Zuko couldn't take any more. He grabbed Katara by the shoulders, trying not to jostle her too roughly. "Katara! Katara, wake up!"

Katara's eyes flew open as she let out a rough gasp, and there was no mistaking the terror in those eyes.

Zuko sat back quickly, still concerned that he had been her dream tormentor. But as soon as Katara focused on him, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Zuko!"

Zuko held her tightly to him, his heart aching at her pain. "Shh, you're all right; it was just a dream." His hands started caressing her back, hoping to bring her some form of comfort.

Katara took a deep, shuddering breath. "There was so much lightning. And you weren't moving."

Zuko stared at the top of Katara's head as the meaning of her words sunk in. She had been dreaming about their battle with Azula when he had been shot by his sister's lightning. He hadn't been terrifying her in the dream; she had been terrified _for _him.

He pulled back a bit so he could look at her. "Pause. I'm fine. You healed me, remember?"

Katara finally looked up at him, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. "I know, but I was so close to losing you."

"But you didn't," Zuko said firmly, holding her even tighter. "I'm here, and I'm not leaving."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Zuko responded. And he meant it. He would always be there for Katara.

"Then…you'll stay with me tonight?"

_Well I didn't mean it exactly like that, _Zuko thought. "I…"

"I don't want to be alone," Katara whispered.

Zuko wondered if she was still half asleep; would a truly conscious Katara ever say this to him? Yet he found that it didn't matter. "Yeah, ok, I'll stay."

"Good."

Zuko discovered two things that night. One, he slept better than he ever had since becoming Fire Lord. And two…his "repressed" feelings for Katara would not stand to be held at bay anymore.

**For the next chapter….who wants to see Aang stumble upon them?**


	6. A Pause to Break

**I love finding out I have new readers! Welcome to girly4567! I'm glad everyone loved the last chapter. Hopefully ya'll will like this one too. I must have re-written about five times, and I'm still not satisfied with it. I think because I know I stink at writing conflict. But this had to happen, because this is a Zutara story after all.**

**Enjoy!**

**A Pause to Break**

Katara woke the next morning feeling better than she had in a long time. She was well rested and ready to face the day. She felt so energized, yet part of her was loathe to move from her bed. She was just so warm and cozy and…

Actually, she was just a bit too warm.

Katara turned her head to look behind her and that is when the events of the previous night came rushing back. Zuko was in her bed. Zuko was in her bed because she had asked him to stay with her. Zuko was in her bed because she had asked him to stay with her because she had had that nightmare again.

Zuko was in her bed.

Katara felt like she should panic a bit. After all, there were reasons she wouldn't let Aang spend the night with her…she just couldn't think of them at the moment.

Because Zuko was in her bed.

_Snap out of it! _she ordered herself. _Stop acting like a love-struck teenager. Zuko is here because you asked him to be here. He stayed because he is a really good friend. Nothing happened. Right._

Her resolve back in place, Katara made to get out of bed only to find that she couldn't. Peeking under the covers she saw why; Zuko's arms were locked securely around her waist. She felt her resolve crumbling, but she stubbornly held it in place.

"Zuko? Zuko wake up."

"Huh? Whatsit?" was the mumbled reply.

Katara held back a giggle. "It's time to get up."

Zuko let out a big yawn, then looked around the room in confusion. His confusion only grew when he finally noticed Katara. "Katara, what are you…oh!" He quickly removed his hands from Katara's waist. "Sorry."

Katara sat up and turned to face him. "It's ok. I should be the one apologizing."

"No, you don't have to," Zuko insisted. "I understand. Like I said, I'm here for you." The sincerity in his voice and on his face was so obvious that even Toph would have taken note of it.

"Thank you," Katara whispered as she gave in to an impulse and hugged him. "I have a feeling I'll need the extra support."

Before Zuko could ask her what she meant, there was a knock on the door. Whoever was on the other side didn't wait for an answer for the door swung right open. The person on the other side was the last person Zuko wanted seeing him and Katara in bed together (even though nothing happened). He would rather Sokka walked in on them then –

"Aang!" Katara said in surprise as she jerked away from Zuko.

The smile fell from Aang's face as he slowly lowered a bouquet of panda lilies. "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Zuko exclaimed as he leapt out of Katara's bed. He winced at how high-pitched his voice sounded just then. "You see, uh…"

"I had a nightmare last night," Katara began.

"Yeah, and I was walking by her room when I heard a scream – "

"And then Zuko woke me up, but I was really shaken – "

"And I couldn't very well leave her alone after a dream like that – "

"So he stayed – "

"To keep the nightmares away," Zuko finished lamely.

Aang glanced between the two of them, a frown etching itself deeper and deeper onto his face.

"Nothing happened," Katara reiterated.

"Is this why you won't come with me?" Aang demanded.

"What? Of course not! I told you, I just can't up and leave like that. My position as Ambassador – "

"Will still be here when we get back," Aang cut in. "I thought you wanted to be back on the road, exploring the world with me. Just like old times."

"You know I wish we could go back to that, but we all have bigger responsibilities now!"

"Responsibilities that can still be taken care of while we travel," Aang argued.

"Maybe yours can, but mine can't," Katara stated. "I'm the Fire Nation's Water Tribe Ambassador; my work is here! I have people depending on me – "

"People like _him_?" Aang asked angrily as he pointed at Zuko.

"Leave him out of this!" Katara shouted.

"Don't think I haven't see the way he looks at you, or you at him," Aang accused.

"What exactly are you getting at?" Katara questioned.

"I'm saying that I think there is something going on between the two of you."

Zuko and Katara shared a flabbergasted look. "You're crazy," Katara finally insisted.

"Am I? Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have feelings for Zuko," Aang demanded.

"Of course I have feelings for him; he's one of my best friends!" Katara said. "But it isn't like what you're insinuating."

Aang shook his head. "I just don't buy it."

A tense silence ensued, seeming to drag on forever until Katara broke it. "It's come to this then. You don't trust me anymore. If you honestly think I would have cheated on you…then you don't know me."

Aang seemed like he wanted to argue her point, but Katara wouldn't let him speak. "Go on your trip Aang. Fulfill your Avatar duties and be there for the people. Just don't expect me to be here waiting for you when you get back."


	7. Pause to Escape

**More new readers! Welcome to glowriana and yourdyingwish! And since I don't say it enough, a huge thank you to everyone who is reading this and has added it your story alerts and favorites list. It really cheers me up!**

**So this next post is highly influenced by Glee and the original songs **_**Get It Right**_** and **_**Pretending**_**. I've been re-watching the first season as well as re-watching the amazing Klaine kiss scene over and over and over... (yeah, I'm a really big Klaine fan). So if any Gleeks and/or Klaine fans are reading this, you'll recognize Zuko's speech to Katara. Obviously, I don't own those words, nor do I own the quote I borrowed from The Princess Bride. **

**Enjoy!**

If there was one thing Katara prided herself on, it was her sense of duty. No matter what was going on in her personal life, she tried her hardest to not let it get in the way of her work. So when one of the Ambassadors from the Earth Kingdom asked for help on setting up hospitals in some of the smaller villages, Katara immediately volunteered. The fact that the job would get her out of the Fire Nation for a couple of months had nothing to do with her decision.

Nothing at all.

"Oh who am I kidding?" she asked herself as she took a break from packing. Only in the privacy of her chambers would she let the truth invade her mind. Ever since she had broken things off with Aang, things between her and Zuko had been off. Their professional relationship was the same as it had always been, but there were times that Katara saw something more hidden in the depths of his eyes.

They hadn't really talked about what happened that morning, other than Zuko offering her his silent comfort after Aang had stormed from the room and Katara had collapsed in tears over what she had done. She didn't regret ending things with Aang; it was something that needed to happen. She had known that the love she had for Aang wasn't going to blossom into a romantic love at any point in the future for a while. She loved him like a brother, plain and simple. No, she didn't regret breaking up with him, she just wished it had happened under different circumstances. But the fact that he thought her capable of going behind his back and cheating still bewildered her to no end.

The fact that he may be right about her feelings for Zuko also bothered her. She loved Zuko as a friend, there was no doubt of that. But was there more to their relationship, as Aang had implied? Katara didn't know. She had mistaken her friendly love for Aang as romantic love, and look at where that had taken them; she was not about to repeat that same mistake.

She needed time away. Time away from Zuko and time away from her feelings. She needed to throw herself into a project and get consumed by her work. Only after that could she even hope to try to understand her feelings for Zuko.

Speaking of Zuko…she had a sinking feeling that he was the one who was knocking on her door. By now word would have reached him that she was leaving for the Earth Kingdom on the next airship.

_You can do this_, she told herself as she moved to stand in front of the door. She pulled it open, and sure enough, there was Zuko.

"Hey Katara," he greeted with a nervous smile.

"Hi."

"So, um…can I come in?"

"Oh, right. Of course," Katara said as she stepped aside.

Zuko strode inside, and then turned to face Katara. "So. You're going to the Earth Kingdom."

Katara nodded. "Yeah. Ambassador Lee has great plans for the hospitals, and with my healing experience, it just makes sense for me to go lend a hand."

"Sure," Zuko agreed. "How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure," Katara said with a shrug. "At least a month, maybe more."

"Oh," Zuko said dejectedly. "Look Katara, about last week – "

"I really don't want to talk about that," Katara said as she moved back over to her packs.

"But I do."

"Can't this wait until I get back?"

"No," Zuko said firmly. "I have to say this. If one of the reasons you're taking this job is what I think it is, then I _need_ to say this." He crossed the distance between them until he was so close that Katara could…

"Katara, there is a moment when you say to yourself 'Oh, there you are; I've been looking for you forever.' Being with you that night…that was a moment for me. About you."

Katara's eyes widened in shock and she knew a blush was staining her cheeks.

"Actually, there have been several moments," Zuko continued. "Watching you make it rain that day by the turtle duck pond, and…if I'm honest with myself, the moment I opened my eyes and saw you smiling through your tears when you healed my lightning wound. But that night last week, there was something. Maybe it was seeing you so vulnerable, maybe it was that you asked me to stay, or maybe it was learning that the thought of losing me scared you that much; I don't know."

He took a deep breath and moved even closer. "The truth is…you move me, Katara. And I – "

Katara's heart didn't want her to stop him. It wanted to hear those words, because they were the same words it wanted her to say to him. But her mind knew she couldn't handle those words right now. So her mind made her say, "Pause."

It came out in the barest of whispers, but Zuko heard her as clearly as if she had shouted the word. He stumbled back, not bothering to hide the hurt in his eyes.

"I just can't," she explained in a strained whisper. "Not right now. I need time. So pause. Please pause."

Zuko stared at her for what could have been seconds, minuets, or hours, Katara didn't know. But finally, he nodded his head and said, "As you wish."


	8. Pause to Plan

**Lovely readers, I am in awe! We have six new readers after the last chapter; wow! Welcome to Lady Krystalyn, Kiren, JemiLover101, Biffel, Alecplz, and ****AnnaDruvez! **

**I also want to thank everyone for the lovely, encouraging reviews. Last week was really crappy for me, but seeing those lovely reviews cheered me up so much. So thank you! Really.**

**Now, this post gave me some trouble, only because writing Iroh is really hard. Hopefully I did him justice. And hopefully ya'll will enjoy it!**

**Pause to Plan**

Zuko paced the length of his office, trying not to set anything on fire, and calling himself all kinds of stupid. What had possessed him to say those things to Katara? He didn't blame her for evoking a pause; he had caught her so off guard. She had only broken up with Aang the week before after all. Of course she wouldn't be ready to hear that sort of thing from him.

He let out a growl of frustration. He really needed to hit something. He was so angry with himself. He should have known better.

A timid knock at the door interrupted his pacing.

"What?"

One of Zuko's guards entered the room. "Sire, you have a visitor."

"Not now," Zuko replied. "Whoever it is, they can come back tomorrow."

"Well yes, I suppose I could, but I would really rather see you now," said a voice from the behind the guard. The visitor stepped into view and Zuko felt a great sense of relief wash over him.

"Uncle! What are you doing here?" Zuko asked as the guard quickly left the room.

"What, I can't plan a surprise visit to see my nephew?" Iroh teased as he wrapped Zuko in a warm embrace.

"Of course you can," Zuko muttered. "I'm glad you're here."

"So how are things?" Iroh inquired as he took a seat in front of Zuko's desk.

"Politically, things are fine for once," Zuko answered as he finally took a seat in his desk chair.

"I sense a 'but' coming."

Zuko knew he wouldn't be able to keep this from his Uncle; Iroh could always tell when something was troubling him. "But personally…I've messed things up."

Iroh sighed. "With Mai?"

Zuko slowly shook his head and forced himself to tell the truth. "Mai left. We had a fight last month and she went off to Kyoshi Island. I thought that maybe she would come back at some point so we could talk things out, but she sent a courier to collect her things this morning."

"I am sorry Nephew," Iroh said sincerely.

"I am too. A little," Zuko admitted.

"May I ask what the fight was about?"

This was the hard part. "Katara,"

"Oh?"

"We've gotten close," Zuko tried to explain. "Too close for Mai's comfort I guess."

"What about your comfort?" Iroh asked.

Zuko's confession came out in a rush of jumbled words. "I admit, I have feelings for Katara. Strong feelings."

Iroh's face remained calm, but inside he was joyfully shouting, _I knew it!_

"But she was with Aang and I was with Mai…but then Mai left and then Katara broke up with Aang after he caught us in bed together. Not like that! She had a nightmare and I overheard and she wanted me to stay and I did, only when Aang found us he jumped to the wrong conclusions and then Katara dumped him. And then I was an idiot and told her how I felt after I found out Mai wasn't coming back and I must have freaked her out because she put me on pause and then she left."

It was a testament to how well Iroh knew Zuko that he was able to follow that rant. "She left?"

"Not like Mai did. Katara took some time to go help set up hospitals in the Earth Kingdom."

"I see. What did you mean when you said she put you on pause?" Iroh questioned.

"It's this thing we do. When we get into an argument or are overworked we take a pause and move on to something else so we don't blow up at each other. I was telling her how I truly felt and she paused me. She said she couldn't deal with it right then; she said she needed time."

"I see." Iroh was quiet for a few minutes. Then, "Well, the solution is simple!"

Zuko stared at his Uncle. "It is?"

"Of course! She said she needed time to think about things. She never even hinted at the possibility that she didn't return your feelings. So, you give her the time she needs, but you still show her that your feelings remain unchanged."

"How?"

"Write to her, but keep it completely professional. Show her that you are taking her pause to heart. It will show her that you listened. And a woman appreciates a man who will listen to her."

For once Iroh's advice made complete sense to Zuko. "That could actually work."


	9. Pause to Reconsider

*sigh* This post! The universe did not want to give me the peace I crave to write this. First Hurricane Irene sent me fleeing to Atlanta (if anyone was also in Irene's path, I hope you got through it ok), which led me to stressing out about things back home, which led to me getting sick, and then my old laptop decided to die on me. Thank goodness I had all my stories backed up! But it is because of you lovely readers that I made myself sit down and write this; I couldn't leave you waiting!

But anywho, a nice warm welcome to Story writer 03 23 2012 and JocastaBleedsInk!

Enjoy!

**Pause to Reconsider**

Katara meandered down the market streets of Omashu, thankful for her day off. Her duties at the new hospitals were just the distractions she had been looking for, but even she had her limits on how long she could work. She was glad to finally have some time to herself.

She had been traveling around the Earth Kingdom for the past month visiting the new facilities and training all of the Healers. She occasionally stepped in as a Healer when her skills were needed, and that was what brought her the most joy.

But no matter how busy she was during the day, every night her thoughts turned back to her last conversation with Zuko and the things that had been said. Pausing had seemed like the right thing to do in the moment, but now that she had had time to think things over, Katara knew she could have handled things better. She should have heard him out, but her fragile heart had told her to run and she had listened.

Apparently so had Zuko. She had asked for a pause and he was giving it to her. No matter what city she was in, she always received at least one letter from him. She had waited a whole weeks to open the first one, fearing it would contain reiterations of his feelings. But it hadn't. The letter was merely an update on how things were going in the Fire Nation.

In fact, all of the letters afterwards were like that. He still asked how she was doing, but that was as personal as the letters got. She had asked for a pause from romance, and he was complying by talking of nothing but work and politics. He was giving her what she needed and that spoke volumes to her.

It also made her realize that if he could honor her pause, she could be brave enough to hear what Zuko had wanted to tell her. Unfortunately, it would have to wait until she was back in the Fire Nation.

She paused at a jewelry stall to inspect some bracelets, when she heard her name being called.

"Katara!"

"Suki?"

The two friends embraced, each wearing identical smiles.

"What are you doing here?" Katara asked as she stepped back.

"Well Sokka and I are making our way back to the Southern Water Tribe, but we heard you were here so we decided to stop for a visit. Or rather, I made him stop here," Suki answered with a smirk.

"I should have figured," Katara said as she fell into step beside her. "You can get him to do just about anything."

"I know." Suki's smile faltered just a bit as she remembered something. "He told me about you and Aang by the way. How are you holding up?"

"You should be asking Aang that question. I am the one who broke up with him after all."

"I know. But a break-up is a break-up. And since Aang is off traveling who knows where, I'm asking you."

Katara sighed. "I'm fine, I guess. It needed to happen. But..."

"But what?"

Katara desperately needed to confide in someone, so she told Suki what had been on her mind for the past month. "Before I left, Zuko told me he had feelings for me."

"Really? He did? Finally!" Suki said gleefully. At Katara's shocked and confused expression, she clarified. "Oh come on Katara, it was so obvious!"

"If you say so," Katara muttered.

"So what did you say?"

"Well...nothing."

"Nothing?" Suki repeated in astonishment. "Why? What exactly happened?"

Katara quickly filled Suki in on the pause clause and what she had said to Zuko.

"So, do you not feel the same way about him?" Suki wanted to know.

"I don't know," Katara admitted. "I care deeply for him, I do. But I just don't know if that translates into romantic feelings. I misinterpreted my feelings for Aang and that went horribly wrong. I don't want to go through that again with Zuko."

"I get it," Suki told her. "And it is a really smart move, but you need to tell Zuko that. Otherwise, he may misunderstand."

"I know, I know. The time just doesn't feel right."

Suki stopped her just outside of their hotel. "Katara, if you don't tell him now, then when will you?"

Before Katara could work out an answer, she heard the familiar sound of her brother's voice.

"Suki, you'll never guess who I ran into - oh! Katara!"

Katara turned to greet her brother. "Sokka, it's good to - Aang!"

Aang stood there awkwardly next to Sokka. "Hey Katara."

"Well this is awkward," Sokka said, always needing to point out the obvious.

Suki elbowed him in the ribs before Katara could. "So Aang, what are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, making my way through the Earth Kingdom, doing my Avatar thing." He laughed nervously.

"Right."

"Um, Katara, can I talk to you for a moment?" Aang asked suddenly.

"S-Sure," Katara stammered out.

The two of them entered the hotel and stood awkwardly in the lobby.

"Look, Katara..." Aang began.

"Aang, you really don't have to -"

"Yes I do. Look, I may not entirely understand how things went wrong between us, but I -"

"Lady Katara, Lady Katara!"

Katara turned around to face the man running towards her. She vaguely recognized him as someone who worked at the hotel; the manager perhaps? "Yes?"

"Lady Katara, a messenger hawk has just arrived from the Fire Nation with urgent news."

"If it is from the Fire Lord, you can just leave the message in my room," Katara instructed.

"No, it is from General Iroh, and -"

"Still, you can just leave it in my room."

"But Lady Katara, the message isn't strictly for you, but the General did ask that you be informed."

"Informed of what?" Katara demanded.

"That there has been an assassination attempt on Fire Lord Zuko!"


	10. UnPause

**I have no excuses, so I'm not going to give any. **

**Un-pause**

"_There has been an assassination attempt on Fire Lord Zuko!"_

_Katara could only stare at the man in front of her, desperately trying to comprehend what he had just said. "What?"_

"_General Iroh writes that Fire Lord Zuko was attacked."_

"_What!"_

"_He is alive, but he is injured. General Iroh says that they aren't sure who is behind the attack, but he does have his suspicions."_

"_What?" Katara tried to force herself out of her shocked state, but the words were still floating through her head. Zuko had been attacked? He was injured? He was…_

_And just like that, it was as if the past year hadn't happened. She was back in the arena watching as Zuko stepped into the path of the oncoming lightning._

_No. Not again._

_She turned to Aang, though she didn't know what comfort he could offer. She saw him take a step back and was confused until he said, "Katara, you're crying."_

"_I am?" she asked in a chocked voice. She lifted her hand to her check and sure enough, there were tears there. "I…"_

_Without a word Aang grabbed her hand and led her back outside. He didn't even stop to explain to Sokka and Suki; he just brushed right past them. _

_He led her to the back of the hotel where Appa sat, munching contently on some hay. "Take Appa."_

"_What? Aang, I don't –" _

"_Take Appa," Aang repeated. "He'll get you to the Fire Nation the fastest. Go be with Zuko."_

And that was how Katara found herself on Appa's back, flying towards the Fire Nation as fast as the sky-bison could go.

To Katara, it felt as though her thoughts were flying through her head at much faster speeds.

_I should have asked if there was more information in Iroh's letter! How badly is Zuko hurt? Is it serious? Is that why Iroh sent the message to the hotel? Did he need me to hear about it so I could come heal Zuko? But then why not send the message directly to me? Does Zuko not want me to know? But why? Does he not want me there? Does he not care for me anymore? Is that why his letters have been so professional?_

_No! _Katara forced her thoughts away from that path. Worrying about all of this wouldn't help her. She needed to stay focused. If Zuko did need healing, she needed to be at her peak, not exhausted from over analyzing each of Zuko's letters to her. She needed to stay strong for him.

_Healing comes first, _she told herself sternly. _Everything else can wait until he is better._

Suddenly realizing that Appa was slowing down, Katara peered over the saddle's edge to see the Fire Nation Palace looming before her. She quickly guided Appa towards one of the inner courtyards, and then leapt to the ground as soon as it was safe to do so. Then she was off, racing through the palace to find Zuko.

She flew past servants, guards, and so many people, but she didn't really see any of them. All she saw was the route she knew would take her straight to Zuko's room.

Luckily there weren't any guards posted in front of his doors; Katara didn't know what she would have done to them if they had been there.

She hurled the doors open, sprinted inside, and stopped at the foot of Zuko's bed.

Sitting in the middle of said bed, surrounded by mounds of paperwork, was a slightly bruised and scratched-up Zuko.

"Katara?"

"You're ok," she breathed out.

"Well, other than a broken leg, I guess I am," Zuko said.

"I just…the message was vague," Katara explained. "Or maybe it wasn't; I didn't actually read it. I just heard assassination attempt and…" She glanced down at her hands and found that they were shaking.

Zuko noticed too. He swept aside some papers and held his arms out to her.

Katara didn't hesitate. She climbed in next to him, mindful of the plaster-wrapped leg she could now see. And then Zuko wound his arms around her and he was there, alive and warm and breathing.

"It was the arena all over again," she whispered.

"I'm fine," Zuko assured her. "You should see the other guys."

Katara had to chuckle at that.

"I told you I would never leave you."

Katara shifted slightly so she could look straight into his eyes. What she saw there no longer confused her or frightened her. And she knew exactly what to say. "Un-pause."

Zuko's smile lit up the room in a way that the sun could never manage. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And because it just felt so right, Katara leaned in and kissed him.


End file.
